sub buteo

2/05/09
some may recignise the title as a popular childs table football game.but i remember it for a whole different reason.
was told of 3 hobbys over the moors at the warren and i craved a better view than last week.went for the west hide as i really couldent be bothered to walk to the east hide(although you would get better views of the waders on the islands).the first bird i saw on entering the hide was a reed bunting on the ground feeder:

i then scanned the area for the hobbys but i couldent see one yet.so i decided to scan the islands instead of having a look at a pair of mallards on the rail.on the islands there was a lot of activity.

3 oystertcatcher

2 shelduck

1 wigeon

1 shoveler

2 gadwall(amys marsh in front of hide)

2 lrp(yes you can see them from the west hide,helps to look for the metal cage covering the nest)

2 lapwing

a lot of breeding b h gulls

then i looked towards the car park to see a compact falcon with sickle shaped wings flapping over the reeds.HOBBY was my shout(again to the only person in there,my dad)just as my dad rushed to look it took a sharp left into the hedge along the path not to appear again(but i saw another flying over north).just as i looked away i saw a raptor perched on the disabled hide.hoping to be the hobby,it turned out to be a male sparowhalk sitting there and not flying as usual.it just stood there.(no pics because it was in an awquard angle looking through the tree).2 ruddy duck males appeared next to the reeds in front of the dissabled hide.

only now did i decide to look at the rails and on these was a tern,after looking through my bins it looked to have a all one colour bill.but just as i looked through my scope it flew north gaining hight.then over the north moors it suddenly dived from a hight into the pool.after about 15 mins it came back landed on the other rail where,through my scope was able to see a small black tip

highlights here were:

1 little grebe

7+ g c grebe

2 shelduck

2 gadwall

1 shoveler

1 wigeon

2 ruddies

1 spazzahalk

2 hobby

3 OYC

2 LRP

2 lapwings

1 common tern

1 garden warbler

4/5 cetts

4 reed warbler

1 bullfinch

3 reed bunt

the flashes:

ive got to get this done quickly now as ive just looked at the time and know ive got english H/W to do so here goes.

on the sailing pool the greylags were there again and i said they would proberbly breed get to the other side of the sailing centre and what do you know 2 greylags with 8 goslings in trail i just had to get a video:

another greylag flew over the flashes calling.there were 4 shelducks down here(2 from moors).another couple of gadwall were down here(not the moors ones).the avocet tally has risen to 10 yes 10 birds.there was 5 lrp's scuttling around.5 lapwings were tumbing with one almost crasshing into the hide.a common sand was still here as was the pair of redshank.and there was a curlew/whimbral type bird at the back of the flash which we decided to leave un-id'ed given the crap light and views.a sedge warbler poped out the reeds briefly again.a cettis warbler gave close,clear,prolonged views in the reeds on the way back.we counted 4 reed warblers.and also a chiffchaff as near the boudwalk.also another reed bunt noted here.next post the wader at lickhill and the wyre.dont miss it(doesent compare to kays holliday in bonnie scotand thought,sounds like you had a good time)

MB